Arrangement for covering and thermally insulating a basin, and cover for such an arrangement

ABSTRACT

The invention provides an arrangement for covering and thermally insulating a basin ( 11 ), containing water, which comprises at least one jointed cover ( 16 ) consisting of an assembly of adjacent parallel slats ( 18 ) hinged together so that they can be wound up to expose the surface ( 22 ) of the water, and unwound horizontally to cover the basin,  
     characterized in that each slat ( 18 ) is a length of hollow section made of rigid or semi-rigid plastic and filled with an injected or expanded plastic foam ( 25 ),  
     and in that when the cover is in the unwound position there is a predetermined gap (J) between the approximately horizontal lower face ( 23 ) of the adjacent slats ( 18 ) of the cover ( 16 ) and the surface ( 22 ) of the water in order to define a thermally insulating cushion of air ( 24 ).

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for covering andthermally insulating a basin.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to an arrangement for abasin of a swimming pool or jacuzzi, also known as “spa”, which containswater at a temperature that is generally higher than that of the ambientair above the basin.

[0003] In the case of a jacuzzi or spa, the basin may take the form of ashell of acrylic material containing water which is maintained at atemperature of about 37°, for which purpose it is equipped with thermalregulating means, such as water heating means, and with means such asjets of pressurized air and/or water designed to produce ahigh-intensity bath and/or create relaxing eddies.

[0004] When not in use, the basin must be covered to protect it fromcontamination, especially when it is out of doors.

[0005] It must also be covered in order to limit heat loss from thewater contained in the basin and to limit the rise in the relativehumidity of the room in which the basin is situated, particularly in thecase of a jacuzzi or spa for domestic use.

[0006] It has already been proposed that such a cover be made in theform of a jointed cover consisting of an assembly of adjacent parallelslats hinged together so that they can be wound up to expose the surfaceof the water, and unwound or deployed horizontally to cover the basin.

[0007] In accordance with a solution known for example from documentFR-A-2 747 717, the cover floats on the surface of the basin and is madeup of hollow slats or strips. This solution has the advantage of makingit possible to wind up and unwind the cover from a reel or drum whichmay or may not be motor-driven.

[0008] This solution is unsatisfactory because the deployed coverfloating on the surface acts as a thermal “bridge” between the water andthe ambient air, thus helping to cool the water.

[0009] What is more the direct contact between the cover and the freesurface of the water is unsatisfactory from the point of view ofhygiene.

[0010] These drawbacks are also found in the solution disclosed andillustrated in document FR-A-2 525 264 in which the covering apronconsists of an assembly of jointed panels of large dimensions similar tostrips or slats.

[0011] A similar solution was provided in document U.S. Pat. No.2,958,083 in which the cover, which consists of hollow slats, floats onthe surface of the water, which thus supports part of its weight.

[0012] Document DE-A-2 453 458 also discloses a cover with a similarhollow-slat structure which is in contact with the surface of the waterand in which the thermal bridge effect is intentional and accentuated inorder to heat the water using the sun.

[0013] Various solutions have also been put forward in which the coverelement is a flexible element in the form of canvas or the like whichmust be stretched over the basin or which floats on its surface.

[0014] These solutions are not very sturdy and are not easy to employ indaily use, especially in view of their large size or the large size ofthe panels of which they are made up.

[0015] These drawbacks are aggravated when the flexible cover element isfilled with an insulating foam enclosed in a flexible envelope with athickness of from 5 to 10 cm.

[0016] In order to solve these problems the invention provides anarrangement of the type mentioned in the preamble, characterized in thateach slat is a length of hollow section made of rigid or semi-rigidplastic and filled with an injected or expanded plastic foam, and inthat when the cover is in the unwound position there is a predeterminedgap between the approximately horizontal lower face of the adjacentslats of the cover and the surface of the water in order to define athermally insulating cushion of air.

[0017] This combination of features solves the problems of the solutionsof the prior art.

[0018] In addition, the jointed cover according to the invention canalso advantageously be used in another arrangement whereby it floats onthe surface of the water, when the maximum thermal insulation is notrequired, while still benefiting in this use from enhanced buoyancybecause of the fact that the slats of the cover are completely filledwith foam.

[0019] Other features of the arrangement according to the invention arecovered by the secondary claims.

[0020] The invention also provides a jointed slatted cover for acovering and insulating arrangement according to the teachings of theinvention.

[0021] Other features and advantages of the invention will be found inthe detailed description given below, for an understanding of which theappended drawings should be referred to, in which:

[0022]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view in section taken on atransverse vertical plane through a jacuzzi or spa equipped with acovering arrangement according to the teachings of the invention; and

[0023]FIG. 2 is a view in section taken on a longitudinal vertical planethrough FIG. 1 with a larger-scale representation of detail D3 in FIG. 2which shows a slat or strip in cross section with its joints to twoadjacent slats.

[0024] In the following description, identical, analogous or similarparts will be denoted by the same reference numbers.

[0025] The terminology vertical, longitudinal and transverse will beadopted with reference to the trihedral frame of reference L, V, T ofFIG. 1.

[0026]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a spa or jacuzzi 10 which essentially comprisesa basin 11, and a cover 16 consisting of jointed slats or strips 18.

[0027] The jacuzzi has an overall symmetry of design with respect to alongitudinal and vertical mid-plane that corresponds to thecross-sectional plane of FIG. 2.

[0028] The basin 11 is constructed in the form of a shell 12 which maybe moulded from acrylic material and has the general form of arectangular parallelepiped.

[0029] The shell 12 is watertight and is filled with water, the freesurface of which is denoted by the reference 22.

[0030] In a known way, not shown in detail in the figures, the jacuzzi10 is fitted with all the equipment necessary for heating and thermalregulation of the water, plus means for producing eddies andhigh-intensity currents such as jets of pressurized water and/or air.

[0031] The shell 12 is preferably externally clad with a verticallateral skirt 14.

[0032] The basin is bounded by two parallel longitudinal lateral upperedges 30 and by two opposite parallel transverse upper edges 32 (front)and 38 (rear).

[0033] The edges 30, 32 and 38 thus define a rectangular upper edge orperimeter of the basin 11.

[0034] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the perimeter ofthe basin is surrounded by longitudinal lateral uprights 28 extendingaround the edges 30, and by a front end cross member 29 to form an upperframe 31.

[0035] The frame may consist for example of internally grooved pieces ofwood.

[0036] The uprights 30 thus each comprise an internal horizontal groove26, and the front end cross member 29 comprises an internal horizontalgroove 27.

[0037] The two longitudinal grooves 26 that guide the cover 16 are openat each longitudinal end and their front ends connect up with the groove27.

[0038] The grooves 26 enable the opposing parallel longitudinal edges 17of the cover 16, which correspond to the ends of the slats 18, to beguided in a horizontal plane corresponding to the plane of the grooves26, while the transverse front end edge 17, which corresponds to thefrontmost slat 18, is received in the groove 27 when the cover is in itsunwound or deployed position covering the basin, which is the positionillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0039] In accordance with the teachings of the invention, and as can beseen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cushion of thermally insulating air 2′ existsbetween the surface of the water and the approximately horizontal lowerface 23 of the cover 16, which corresponds to the lower faces 23 of theslats 18 which are approximately coplanar when the curtain is unwound soas to close the basin 11.

[0040] The cushion 24 corresponds to the average vertical gap “J”between the surface 22 and the lower face 23 resulting from the verticalheight of the plane of the grooves 26.

[0041] As can be seen in greater detail in FIG. 3, each slat is a lengthof section made of extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) whose continuoussection is in this case rectangular and it comprises, along its twoopposite vertical edges, male 19 and female 21 hinge rings which areextruded integrally with the rectangular body of the section and providea hinged connection between one slat and the two slats immediately nextto it.

[0042] In accordance with the teachings of the invention, each slat 18is completely filled with a foam 25.

[0043] The foam 25 is preferably an expanded polyurethane foam 25 whichis injected or poured through one end into the partitioned rectangularbody in such a way as to fill it completely.

[0044] In accordance with one detail feature, not shown in the figures,each of the two ends of a length of foam-filled section forming one slat18 of the cover 16 is fitted with a plug which is pushed in and held bybarbs that extend into the interior of the section, into the expandedfoam.

[0045] Each plug acts as the guide means of the corresponding slat orstrip which are received in the grooves 26.

[0046] The filling foam 2 gives each slat 18 a very high thermalinsulating capacity compared with a hollow air-filled slat.

[0047] The combination of the envelope or body of the section 18 ofrigid or semi-rigid plastic and the synthetic filling foam forms a slatthat has a very low thermal conductivity.

[0048] In the unwound position, therefore, the cover 16 is an excellentthermally insulating cover which is combined with the presence of thecushion of air 24.

[0049] In accordance with another feature, not shown in detail, and tofurther increase the thermal insulation, the lower face of the cover 16,that is preferably the lower face 23 of each slat 18 which is nearest tothe surface of the water 22, is given a coating that reflects the heatradiation coming from the water.

[0050] The coating is preferably an aluminium alloy foil, also known asaluminium foil, or a coat of aluminium-containing paint.

[0051] The reflective coating is advantageously produced on each slatbefore the cover 16 is assembled, for example when the hollow body isextruded.

[0052] To ensure that the cover 16 maintains all its thermallyinsulating properties in combination with the presence of the cushion ofair 24, it is important that this cushion of air 24 be maintained, thatis, that the gap “J” be approximately constant at all points.

[0053] To this end, especially if the slats 18 are very long, it ispossible for some of the slats, or in a variant all the slats, each tohave a longitudinal reinforcing element.

[0054] As illustrated schematically in cross section in FIG. 3, thelongitudinal reinforcing or stiffening element is for example acylindrical rod 34 passing through the interior of the centralcompartment of the section.

[0055] The rod 34 is preferably a material of low thermal conductivity,such as a plastic, to avoid any risk of its acting as a thermal bridge,particularly at either end.

[0056] The reinforcing rod 34 is preferably a reinforcing core which isput into position before the section is filled with foam, which is thenovermoulded around the rod.

[0057] At its rear edge 38 the basin 11 is equipped with a rear box 36,which may likewise be made of wood to harmonize the aesthetic appearancewith the frame 31.

[0058] The box 36 comprises a horizontal slot 40 which is coplanar withthe grooves 26, allowing the cover 16 to pass through it and be woundonto a reel 20 of transverse axis housed in the box 36, to allow thejacuzzi to be opened to give access to the basin 11 by uncovering thesurface of the water 22.

[0059] The reel 20 is preferably motor-driven by, for example, amotor/gearbox assembly and a drive, all of which may beremote-controlled.

[0060] Means such as a strap 42 are provided to facilitate windingand/or unwinding the cover. The strap 42 is elastic and its ends areattached to the inside of the box 36 so that the strap presses the slats18 of the cover 16 onto the opposite side of the reel from the directionD in which the cover would be longitudinally deployed.

[0061] In accordance with another feature, an anti-drip brush 44 isprovided alongside the transverse rear edge 38 and extends transverselyin such a way as to act on the lower face 23 of the cover 16 to removeany drips that form by condensation on the surface 23 and limit theamount of water that gets into the box 36.

[0062] In another arrangement (not shown), to further improve thethermal insulation it is possible to provide at least one other slattedinsulating cover 16 similar in structure to the first cover describedabove.

[0063] A second cover of this kind may be guided and held parallel toand at a vertical distance from the first by another set of horizontalgrooves similar to the grooves 26, 27.

[0064] There would thus be an additional cushion of air between the twocovers when deployed, and the covers can both be wound simultaneouslyonto the same reel.

[0065] A slatted cover according to the invention advantageously hasvery great buoyancy and, in another application, may float on thesurface of a basin to cover and protect it.

1. Arrangement for covering and thermally insulating a basin (11), suchas a basin of a spa, jacuzzi (10) or swimming pool, containing water,which comprises at least one jointed cover (16) consisting of anassembly of adjacent parallel slats (18) hinged together so that theycan be wound up to expose the surface (22) of the water, and unwoundhorizontally to cover the basin, characterized in that each slat (18) isa length of hollow section made of rigid or semi-rigid plastic andfilled with an injected or expanded plastic foam (25), and in that whenthe cover is in the unwound position there is a predetermined gap (J)between the approximately horizontal lower face (23) of the adjacentslats (18) of the cover (16) and the surface (22) of the water in orderto define a thermally insulating cushion of air (24).
 2. Arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterized in that each slat (18) is a lengthof polyvinyl chloride (PVC) section.
 3. Arrangement according to claim1, characterized in that each slat (18) is filled with polyurethane foam(25).
 4. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that eachslat (18) is closed at each of its two opposite longitudinal ends by anadded plug.
 5. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in thatat least some of the slats (18) each have a longitudinal reinforcingelement (34) which extends through the filling foam (25).
 6. Arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the approximately flat lowerface (23) of each slat (18) which, when the cover is in the deployedposition, lies over the surface (22) of the water of the basin (11) iscovered with a coating that reflects the heat radiation coming from thewater and thus improves the thermal insulation.
 7. Arrangement accordingto the previous claim, characterized in that the said thermal coating isan aluminium alloy foil or a coat of paint containing an aluminiumalloy.
 8. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that itcomprises an anti-drip brush (44) for acting on the lower face (23) ofthe slats to remove the drips formed by condensation on the said face(23).
 9. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that theupper edges (30) of the basin (11) are equipped with means (28, 26) forguiding the cover (16), in which the opposite longitudinal ends (17) ofat least some of the slats (18) are received and slide, and whichdetermine the said predetermined gap (J).
 10. Cover (16) of jointedslats (18) for an arrangement according to any one of the previousclaims.